


that boy is mine

by QueenWithABeeThrone



Series: city of the future (or: the hamdevil au) [2]
Category: Daredevil (TV), Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: AU-ception, Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Sickfic, Texting, Twitter, a.ham vs the 21st century, comma sexting, now featuring john laurens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-05-06 20:56:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5430563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenWithABeeThrone/pseuds/QueenWithABeeThrone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <b>
    <i>LAURENS:</i>
  </b>
  <br/>
  <i>my dearest, alexander</i>
  <br/>
  <i>wake the fuck up</i>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <i>A. HAM:</i>
  </b>
  <br/>
  <i>excuse you some of us died in our FORTIES</i>
</p><p>or: the one where John Laurens is back too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. sky's the limit

**Author's Note:**

> this is most definitely not canon within the hamdevil au, but it was too precious to pass up. pls assume that the timeline has been shuffled around a little thanks to John's presence and that John himself comes back later than Alex does. also, that neither of them remember the afterlife at all.

**j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@adotham and me at Starbucks! god, this latte is so expensive but so good. t.co/wER4nuHFmb

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@JLaurens WHAT DID I TELL YOU

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@adotham you said "it spits in the face of all we sacrificed AND IT TASTES SO GOOD"

 **k dot page** _@karen_p_  
@JLaurens @adotham oh my god you're ADORABLE #lams

\--

 **LAURENS:**  
my dearest, alexander  
wake the fuck up

 **A. HAM:**  
excuse you some of us died in our FORTIES  
some of us have gotten old enough to CHERISH OUR SLEEP  
also i see that comma  
very funny

 **LAURENS:**  
i forgot you're old  
does that mean i can eat all these incredibly sweet and no doubt unhealthy pastries your adopted superhero child left for us

 **A. HAM:**  
i have not adopted spiderman or ms marvel  
also no those are rightfully mine i am getting out of bed right now and i will fight you for them  
happy

 **LAURENS:**  
very  
also it was spiderman and he called you dad so yeah you've adopted them  
sure, if you're ready to LOSE

 **A. HAM:**  
oh my god NO

\--

Trinity Church is about an hour's walk or so, from Alexander's apartment in Hell's Kitchen. John knows this because of he's accompanied Alexander on so many of these trips, stuck close to him and slipped his hand into Alexander's on the way out every time. And every time--

"Are you all right?" Alexander says, quiet, as they walk out of the churchyard.

"Of course," says John. It's getting easier and easier to say that, with each passing month he spends here, in this brave new world where slavery is a thing of the past (though there is still work to do, there are still changes to effect if they will ever be truly free) and he can slip his hand into Alexander's and not even get a single dirty look as they walk down the street. "You?"

"As well as I'll ever be," says Alexander, and it strikes John just how old Alexander's gotten in the years since he died. He looks away, up to the rooftops, as though searching for something.

"Something's on your mind, though," says John.

" _Star Wars_?" Alexander jokes, and John jabs him in the side with his elbow. "Ow, ow, okay--it's just. Karen and I keep seeing bruises on Matt."

"He probably tripped and fell again," says John. "He seems prone to that."

"Yeah," says Alexander, "but he looked like he'd been _punched_. And in the exact same place Daredevil got punched last night, you remember that?"

John lets out a breath, says, "You nearly got shot again, yeah, I remember. But how do you know--"

"I don't _know_ ," says Alexander, frustrated, "and neither does Karen. But we'll figure it out. I just--" He looks at John again, beseeching, and says, "We could use your help."

"He's _blind_."

"Karen showed me videos of a blind gymnast on YouTube," says Alexander. "And Matt said he boxed. What say you, my dearest Laurens? Will you help?"

John sighs, and says, "All right. I'll help."


	2. quit your sword, my friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in response to an anon who wanted praise kink and playing with hair on Tumblr. I didn't sneak in the praise kink since I don't tend to write porn, but hey! I got the playing with hair in.

Three days after Alexander brings John back to his apartment, Foggy visits with a cake decorated with the words _CONGRATS ON THE SEX! from: Nelson, Murdock & Page._

“Really,” says Alexander, the moment he opens the door and sees the cake.

“I assume that you’ve been having hot sex with your not-a-zombie boyfriend, anyway,” says Foggy, with a shit-eating grin. “Unless you haven’t, in which case I guess the cake is all mine--”

John, displaying an impeccable sense of timing, chooses that moment to blearily stumble out of the bedroom. There’s a line of hickeys blossoming down his neck, evidence of last night’s activities, and Alexander looks back at Foggy, whose shit-eating grin only gets wider.

“Why’d I start working with you again?” Alexander asks.

“Because you love us and we’re the only law firm who pays you in baked goods and warm, fuzzy feelings,” Foggy says.

“Warm and fuzzy feelings don’t _pay my rent_ ,” Alexander says, just as John comes up behind him and presses himself to his back, peering at the cake.

“What the hell,” says John, but it comes out more like _whathe’ell_ instead. Alexander makes a note to himself to head out to Starbucks for a coffee run.

“You could sell all the baked goods on the side, then,” says Foggy, utterly unfazed. “Maybe not this one, though, I don’t think even your sterling rep would survive it.”

“You say _sterling rep_ like I _have_ one,” Alexander retorts, just as John’s fingers thread through his hair and scratch lightly at his scalp. He freezes in place, sucks in a breath to steady himself. “We’ll take it,” he manages to say.

Foggy practically _beams_ , the little shithead. “Great!” he says. “Hey, you coming in today? Unless you’re planning on introducing your not-a-zombie boyfriend to the wonders of Netflix and chill--”

“’S’John,” says John, fingers tangling through Alexander’s hair and there is absolutely no way Foggy doesn’t see that. _No way_. “What’s Netflix?”

“Okay, you know what,” says Alexander, taking hold of the cake, “tell Matt and Karen I won’t be coming in today. There’s still some catching up John and I need to do.”

John buries his face against his shoulder, gives a little snort of laughter that sends shivers down Alexander’s spine.

“Sure,” says Foggy. “Catching up. _Sure_.”

\--

 **The Daily Bugle** _@DailyBugle_Official_  
Spotted: Alexander Hamilton Out  & About with Mystery Guy bit.ly/4HYase

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@DailyBugle_Official do you just ENJOY speculating on my private life or was it a really slow news day

 **Gwen Stacy** _@gwenstacy_  
is it just me or does #AHamsMysteryGuy look weirdly familiar

 **Casey W** _@foreversherlocked_  
@adotham dude who’s the hot guy you’re holding hands with #AHamsMysteryGuy

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@foreversherlocked “I don’t have to tell you anything at all” (unless he gets on Twitter)

\--

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
#goodmorningamerica t.co/yHEM3dawlO

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@JLaurens is the real John Laurens btw, and now you know who #AHamsMysteryGuy is 

**k dot page** _@karen_p_  
@JLaurens jsyk it’s been 15 mins and the work phone is blowing up with questions #ihopeyourehappy

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@JLaurens @adotham FIFTY-SEVEN ACADEMICS AND AN ENTIRE FANDOM

\--

“How do I get verified?” John asks.

“Yell at Twitter and hopefully they’ll put a check mark next to your name,” says Alexander. They’re curled up on the couch together, marathoning _Master of None_ on Alexander’s laptop, and John leans a little against Alexander, swiping left and right on his new phone’s screen and trying to get the hang of it. In the light, it’s easier to tell that Alexander’s gotten older--he can see lines in his face where there weren’t before, streaks of grey in his hair at the temples, the light of the laptop reflecting off Alexander’s glasses.

In contrast, John’s looked at himself. He knows he looks young, younger than a man he’s older than by a year. Or. Well. Not any longer, he supposes, considering Alexander’s lived much longer than him.

“Or you could just take a selfie,” says Alexander, snapping John out of his reverie and downward spiral into regret, and John huffs out a breath. “Picture, I mean.”

“You’ve picked up a lot,” John says.

“Well, I kinda had to,” Alexander says, and John feels Alexander’s fingers catching on strands of his hair, the touch feather-light against his scalp.

John--well, John’s a little hesitant, at first, the old whispers rising within him, but then Alexander shifts closer and. Well. John’s never particularly claimed himself to be a good person.

He leans into the touch, fiddles with his phones, and pulls up the camera app. A little more fiddling, and eventually he holds it up, making sure to keep his and Alexander’s faces in the frame before he takes the picture.

“Not bad for a first selfie, huh?” John says.

“I don’t know,” says Alexander, squinting at the phone’s screen, “at that angle, my nose looks a little small--”

“You’re incorrigible,” John says.


	3. auld lang syne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALL THIS IS FLUFF I need fluff this new chapter for the main fic is like breaking my shriveled black heart into pieces and like, pls assume that Alexander, after this, tells Laurens ALL THE BAD DIRTY JOKES ABOUT BALLS DROPPING.
> 
> happy new year all of you.

**PETER:**  
dear stepmom  
inquiring minds need to know  
r u and Alex coming to the BALL DROP

 **NOT-EVIL STEPMOM:**  
i can see why alex likes you  
yeah we're going  
i may need help dragging alex away from his laptop tho

 **PETER:**  
I am  
VERY GOOD  
at dragging people away from things  
y I can help

\--

 **A. HAM:**  
thanks for the gift last xmas we got a lot of use out of it  
seriously so thoughtful of you to get them for us

 **NELSON:**  
oh no  
oh god  
the fuzzy handcuffs were a JOKE

 **A. HAM:**  
what you mean it WASNT serious  
that explains the weird giggling fit you went into

 **NELSON:**  
you're kidding me  
you have got to be kidding me  
please be kidding me

 **A. HAM:**  
wheres the fun in telling you if i was joking

\--

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@adotham is a MENACE #iwillneverbethesame

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@fnelson_nm watch it, that's my boyfriend you're talking about #meetmeoutside

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@fnelson_nm says the guy who gave us the fuzzy handcuffs in the first place

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@JLaurens wait up I think there's an old shirt around here somewhere that should work as my favor

\--

 **#TrishTalk** _@TrishTalk_Official_  
What Trish is Talking About: fave moments of 2015? tweet it at us with #BestOf2k15!

 **REY!!!!!** _@starwarsrules_1990_  
#BestOf2k15 STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS HANDS FUCKING DOWN

 **Tony Fucking Stark** _@IAmIronMan_  
#BestOf2k15 beating up Ultron and releasing the new StarkPhone model way ahead of schedule. duh.

 **HULK(ling)** _@teddy_alt_  
#BestOf2k15 I can get married to a guy ANYWHERE IN THE US #lovewins now to plan a wedding that can never be

 **J. Jones** _@jjones_alias_  
#BestOf2k15 not having to look over my shoulder anymore. that's pretty damn good.

 **J.B. Barnes** _@ImBuckyBarnes_  
#BestOf2k15 @RealCaptainA: the new Miss Maria Reynolds #dontsaynotothis

 **J.B. Barnes** _@ImBuckyBarnes_  
@RealCaptainA doesn't think im hilarious anymore :(((((

 **#1 History Prof.** _@JosephAndrews742_  
#BestOf2k15 ALEXANDER HAMILTON. JOHN LAURENS. this year has been good to us amrev historians.

 **k dot page** _@karen_p_  
#bestof2k15 no one tell @adotham or @JLaurens they're the best part of '15

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
#BestOf2k15 there's a musical on Broadway on my life and honestly that's the second-best thing

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@JLaurens occupies the top spot, of course

\--

 **KAMALA:**  
you two are ADORABLE  
like  
i can't hope to write my ships as adorable as you  
be proud of yourselves

 **A. HAM:**  
GO TO SLEEP YOUNG WOMAN  
also im flattered thanks but  
SLEEP

 **KAMALA:**  
CRIME NEVER SLEEPS SO I NEVER SLEEP  
also the ball drop is happening tonight so i plan to be there  
i have my brother with me and everything so it all checks out with ammi and abu  
gonna be great  
what about you?

 **A. HAM:**  
johns pretty insistent i come with him  
should be fun

\--

"Guys!" yells Foggy, once Alexander and John make it onto the already somewhat crowded scene of the ball drop. "Guys, over here!" He waves his hands up over his head, jumps up and down so he's sure to be seen.

"There's our guy," says Alexander, with a huff of laughter. There's Matt, stuck close to Foggy with a bright smile that very rarely appears on his face, and Karen, her face half-hidden and her snicker muffled by her bright green scarf.

"Saved you the best seats," says Foggy, as John and Alexander make their way over to him. "You ready to see off your first year in the 21st century?"

"By watching a huge ball drop, yeah, yeah," says Alexander. "Real exciting."

"I'm told it is," says Matt, mildly, but he can't hide his smirk, the one Alexander's learned means he's silently laughing at them all and at his own joke on the inside. Daredevil's a goddamn _dork_ , Alexander's found, one who's picky about his ice cream and laughs at his own jokes and lies. A lot.

"Ignore him," says John, "I had to drag him away from the computer to get him here. He was writing a letter--"

"I thought he was on Twitter," says Karen. "Although he was raking someone over the coals again--which you need to _stop doing_ , Alex, the caps lock is a huge turn-off."

"Don't stop doing it," Foggy whispers, _sotto voce_ , "you calling Trump a mutton-headed racist shitlord in all caps is the best part of my day."

"Don't look now," says Matt, sniffing a little at the air, "but someone's coming this way."

"Alex!" someone yells, and Kamala comes into view, dragging a bearded young man wearing a white cap along with her as she pushes through the growing crowd. "Hey--John Laurens, in the place to be!"

"Miss Khan and her brother, finally!" shouts John, and Alexander sees him engulfing Kamala in a hug, sees the rapidly fading sunlight catching on his hair like a halo, and he is _so young_. Older than Kamala, certainly, but so much younger than Alexander himself, and the thought of it is so odd. "Hey, wait, Kamala, where's your buddy?"

"Bruno's on night shift back in Jersey," says Kamala. "He can't come, and he says he's sorry."

"You must be Matthew Murdock, sir," says Kamala's brother to Matt--Amir, Alexander quickly remembers, her incredibly devout and currently unemployed brother. Her very _protective_ brother, judging by how he looks Matt up and down as though he might be a threat. Alexander decides not to point out that Kamala, as Ms. Marvel, could probably wipe the floor with Matt, even as Daredevil. "My sister's mentioned you a few times."

"Your sister's a smart girl, she picked up a few things very fast while interning," says Matt, barely pausing over the lie. "We'd like to hire her. Part-time job, doesn't pay much, but it'll look good on her résumé. We'll talk to her parents, of course," he adds, "ultimately the decision is up to them on whether to allow Kamala to come to New York every so often--"

Alexander tunes out the conversation between Matt and Amir, turns to Karen. "I only _just_ got used to writing 2015 instead of 1804," he murmurs.

Karen arches a brow, and says, "Is that why there's a file that's apparently from September 15, 1804?"

"Wait--seriously?"

"There's another that's apparently from 1781, so," says Foggy, butting in.

Alexander feels John's hand slipping into his, tangling their fingers together. "Could you blame me," says John, dryly, "I've had even less time than Alexander to adjust."

"Last week you called Rupert Murdoch a greedy scum-sucking fuckhead," says Karen. "I'd say you adjusted really well."

"He _is_ , though," says Alexander. "I weep for the state of the Post under him."

"So you've said," says John, "in half your goddamn letters to the Post."

\--

 **KAMALA:**  
so Ammi  
would you be all right with it if i took an internship in nyc

 **AMMI:**  
What?  
Why?

 **KAMALA:**  
with a law firm!  
they're good people, Ammi, i've run into them in costume before  
plus they took down a crime lord  
PLUS mr. hamilton works there  
i told you about him

 **AMMI:**  
How can I not remember that, you played the whole album for two weeks.  
I'm not sure, beta.  
Between this and your Ms. Marvel identity, you might be overwhelming yourself.

 **KAMALA:**  
no, Ammi, it's cool  
daredevil's offering it's a good opportunity to have someone watching my back more often  
and i'll keep my grades up promise

 **AMMI:**  
I suppose.  
But you should sleep more!  
Take more breaks. Crime may not sleep, but there are other heroes who can take care of it while you rest.  
And please don't give your brother a heart attack while you're there.

\--

Eventually John grabs hold of Alexander's arm and tugs him away from the crowd that's starting to surround them--they're here to watch a ball drop and the old year give way to the new, after all, and John kind of likes the relative anonymity that comes with hanging around the outskirts of the crowd. At least right now, anyway.

"You know," starts Alexander, "there's a New Year's tradition where you make out with somebody on the very last second of the year."

"Yeah, I know about that one," says John, almost absently, looking around them. There's a kid taking pictures on her phone nearby, the bright light illuminating her face in the darkness, but other than her they're the only ones there.

Alexander raises an eyebrow. "That why you just had to get me alone?" he asks, his voice low.

"That might be a part of it," John admits.

Alexander laughs, and when he does, John sees crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, thinks of the decades that he lived after John's death. "Ooh, Mr. _Laurens_ ," Alexander says, leaning in close and pitching his voice low and husky, "are you going to _ravish_ me?"

"Not out in public, no," says John, "your kid's still nearby."

"Kamala is _not_ my kid--"

"You keep gyros in the fridge for when she comes by, you've all but adopted her," says John. "And Peter. You know he's got me down as the stepmom?"

"That little _shit_ ," marvels Alexander.

\--

 **SPIDEY** _@imreallyspiderman_  
killer view up here, folks! t.co/2mHJsd49PW

 **SPIDEY** _@imreallyspiderman_  
tho jeez criminals of NYC, cool it for like 1 hr will you #dontruinit #TimesSquareBallDrop

 **SPIDEY** _@imreallyspiderman_  
thank you tiny and slightly terrifying leather-jacket lady for punching out a guy, couldn't save some?

 **J. Jones** _@jjones_alias_  
@imreallyspiderman you're WELCOME

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
me, Matt, @karen_p and @KhanKamala1999 at #TimesSquareBallDrop t.co/8WDFRmaq7d

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
btw if anyone sees @adotham and @JLaurens just back away slowly from the lovebirds #TimesSquareBallDrop

\--

"Hey," says Alexander, softly, as the clock ticks closer to the final minute of the year.

"Hey," says John, just as soft, as Alexander leans into his side. Onstage, one of Karen's favorite musicians has just finished her song, something about imagining there's no heaven above them, only sky. "Just think--in a week or so, you'll be fifty. Or two-hundred plus, depending."

"No, probably fifty," says Alexander, "I was dead for those two hundred years, they don't count."

" _Probably_ , he says," John huffs.

"I could be turning forty-eight," says Alexander, "you don't know. I'm not _that_ old."

"Spoken like a man about to hit fifty," says John, with a laugh.

"Just because you got lucky and managed to join the 27 Club and _I_ didn't does not mean you get to rub it in my face," Alexander says, nudging John's side with his elbow. "In fact-- _in fact_ \--age before beauty, _ha_."

"So you're saying you're old and I'm hotter than you are?"

"Stop putting words in my _mouth_ ," Alexander protests.

"Just _saying_ ," John teases.

"I will actually fight you," Alexander says, but he leans his head on John's shoulder and breathes in his scent, relishes in the warmth of John's body, "I will--I'm gonna go on Twitter and call you out and challenge you to a backalley fight. I _will_."

"Who'd cook you omelettes, then?" John asks.

"I could," Alexander argues.

"Okay, I'm gonna rephrase that," says John. "Who'll cook you _good_ omelettes?"

"Oh my god, _Brutus_ , are you just going to keep stabbing me," Alexander huffs.

"Well, if you _insist_ \--"

_10!_

The shout snaps Alexander back to his senses, and he looks up at the ball, descending slowly. "It's kinda weird they call it a ball drop when it's slower than Foggy with a salad," he says.

_9!_

"Ball crawl," says John. "Sounds better. Rhymes too."

"I like it," Alexander decides.

_8!_

"Honestly, _ball drop_ sounds kinda dirty--" muses Alexander.

"Please stop right there," says John, "I actually want to sleep tonight."

"You say that _now_ , but I guarantee, you'll be saying something else later." He wiggles his eyebrows at John, who hides his chortle in Alexander's hair. It's profoundly unfair that Alexander is much older than John, but still so much shorter, but he can't quite give voice to that complaint right now because it feels. Nice. It feels very nice.

_7!_

"New Year's Resolutions," says John.

"Hang on, I got a list right here," says Alexander, pulling his phone out and pulling up his Pages app. The list runs to ten pages. "You want me to give a summary?"

"Sum up the highlights for me," says John.

_6!_

"Don't challenge anybody to backalley fistfights, that's Matt's arena," says Alexander. "Don't challenge anybody to _duels_ , that's illegal now. Don't go beyond two hours with a historian on the telephone, they have classes to get to. Visit France, you owe Lafayette a visit to his grave and then some. See sights that _aren't_ graveyards, you've seen more than enough graveyards already. Endeavor not to get shot. Kiss John more often, he deserves kisses. Go on dates with John more often too, there's a lot of things you need to catch him up on that require first-hand experience. Admit that I'm over the--hey, wait a sec, I didn't add _this_ part." He squints up at John, who's smiling innocently. "I didn't give you my phone password to have you break into my resolutions and try to get me to admit something _clearly false_."

"I can't apologize because it's _true_ ," John lightly teases, "and also, your password is LIZA."

" _Eliza_ wouldn't fit," says Alexander, his tone a little heavier than before, just before it snaps back into lightness with a cheery, "Okay, your turn."

John pulls his phone from his pocket.

_5!_

"Get ice cream more often from that place Matt loves," says John. "They have the best ice cream. Don't get into fights with bigots over the Internet, you'll only get a headache. Step aside sometimes and let others speak on your cause, especially if you're not the one affected by it. Kiss Alex more often, especially if he gets too into his work. Learn what the fuck half the symbols on my phone mean. Make a Vine account and do something for it. Finish _Dog Cops_ like you keep saying you will. Get into jail less often. Come prepared for if you get tear-gassed, milk usually works." He pauses, glances at Alexander.

"Your password was easy to guess," says Alexander, honestly. "It's my name. And--yeah, I think those protests are a step away from a mob--"

"We've been over this, Alex," John sighs.

"--yeah, we have," says Alexander, "and I know from experience I can't stop you from going to them, so I figure, you'd better go prepared." He turns to face him, leans up onto his toes and rests his free hand on the back of John's neck. "Don't get killed," he says, soft.

_4!_

"I won't," John promises, his free hand resting on the small of Alexander's back. The weight of it there sends shivers up and down Alexander's spine. "But I could say the same for you. Don't get yourself killed, Alex. Please."

"I won't," Alexander promises.

_3!_

"I like you a lot," Alexander says.

John squints at him. "You're quoting the musical again," he says.

"Go with it," says Alexander, with a huff.

"Alexander," says John, "you're the closest friend I've got."

"Laurens," says Alexander, "do not throw away your shot."

"Considering how you _died_ \--"

"You are _such_ an asshole."

_2!_

"Last second of 2015," says John. "Never thought we'd _see_ it."

"Here's to seeing many more," murmurs Alexander. He leans even further up, on the very tips of his toes, and presses his lips against John's.

_1!_

" _Happy New Year!_ " someone shouts, somewhere off in the distance--it sounds like Karen, Alexander thinks. Above, the night sky bursts into color, fireworks illuminating the New York skyline in gold and red and a palette of brilliant colors. Someone else gives a joyous hoot, something crashes nearby, someone yells _get a room, Jesus_ , and Alexander doesn't care, doesn't think of anything else but this--this one perfect moment, this one little thing.

"Best way to ring in the New Year," says John, when they finally break apart.

"Yeah," says Alexander, breathless, helpless. "Can't argue with _that_."

\--

 **Casey W** _@foreversherlocked_  
are these guys who I think they are #holyshit #HOLYFUCK t.co/5rauKOMAh6

 **k dot page** _@karen_p_  
@adotham @JLaurens #nocomment  
RT: are these guys who I think they are t.co/5rauKOMAh6

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
YEP that's us #BestOf2k15 #happynewyearamerica  
RT: are these guys who I think they are t.co/5rauKOMAh6

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
how to ring in the new year: have your kiss go viral by accident #hardtotopthat #goodluck2k16


	4. let it snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still working on the main fic! but also: happy Valentine's Day.

**MURDOCK:**  
how is he

 **LAURENS:**  
let me put it this way  
his laptop is currently under lock and key  
also when he opens his mouth half the time it's to complain about me hovering so

 **MURDOCK:**  
guess that means hes all right  
stay inside

 **LAURENS:**  
you too  
if i turn on the tv and you're on the news i'm calling claire so she can kick your ass

 **MURDOCK:**  
that would require me getting past foggy first

 **LAURENS:**  
good man  
i'm getting him a cake when this is over

\--

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
if there's one thing #snowmageddon is good for it's catching up on messages and articles I've put aside for work

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
eg @richard_thompson 's blog post about how the founding fathers would be disappointed in today's youth

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
which lbr is code for "TJeffs would hate every great thing about today and I'll whine about it for him"

 **k dot page** _@karen_p_  
@adotham you're sick, shouldn't you be off the Internet?

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@adotham I LEAVE YOU ALONE TO BRAVE #SNOWMAGEDDON AND BUY COFFEE #GETBACKINBED

\--

"Literally," says John, shutting the bedroom door behind him, "not _five minutes_ \--"

"People can still tweet when they're sick!" Alex says, defensively. "I've seen it happen, I've done it from a hospital room, it's not even that hard--"

"If only Mulligan came back with us too," says John, "I'd be giving him a goddamn fruit basket right now, putting up with you in college. Jesus fuck, _lie down, Alex._ "

"Peter tweets while he's in costume," says Alex, peevishly, but he lies down anyway. Small miracle right there, considering he's on a roll again. "I'm just saying, nothing but death can stop somebody from tweeting, and sometimes not even _then_ , didja see the _many_ George Washington accounts--"

"I did, you showed me and trash-talked half of them," says John, crawling into bed beside him and plucking the phone out of his hands. "Make some room, asshole, if I have to cuddle you to keep you from getting out of bed then _so be it_."

Alex, thank god, obliges with only the minimum of grumbling about John being an evil little traitor. "What were you doing out in the damn snow, anyway?" he asks. "Don't you know there's a blizzard on?"

"See, unlike you, I wear at least six layers when I go out in a blizzard," says John. "And I'm not sick for the hundredth time. _And_ I'm not fifty."

"Forty-eight," says Alex.

"Fifty," says John.

Alex sniffs. "I'm not that sick," he says, falling back on the old excuse. John remembers the last time he used that excuse--it was Valley Forge, in the middle of winter, and everything was terrible and cold and miserable.

"Yesterday you tweeted that if it came down to Jefferson and Donald Trump in the presidential elections, you'd vote for Jefferson again in a heartbeat," says John. " _Jefferson_ , Alex."

"Did I?" says Alex, squirming around in John's arms and raising himself up on his elbow to look at John. "I'm pretty sure I didn't."

"The Internet has screencaps," says John. "That you're _not going to see_ , put that phone away."

Alex makes a face, fumbling about for his phone. "But I'm not that sick anymore," he whines, and punctuates it with a cough.

"I'll make you a deal," says John, "we'll marathon Parks and Rec if you don't touch your phone for the next few hours, does that sound good?"

Alex pauses for a moment, then says, "Fine."

\--

 **for pete's sake** _@PParker_  
no school on Monday, thnx #Snowpocalypse

 **Hamiltrash** _@whambamthankuham_  
tomorrow's Jan. 22: happy birthday to Philip Hamilton. you could've done so much more if you only had time.

\--

 **KAREN:**  
you guys okay?  
since you're snowed in and today's. you know.

 **LAURENS:**  
yeah we're okay  
mostly  
alex is still sick and it's his son's birthday so

 **KAREN:**  
need me to come over?  
I've got soup.

 **LAURENS:**  
please  
if you can get through the snow anyway  
if you can't it's fine

 **KAREN:**  
I live a few blocks away, I think I can manage before the storm gets worse.

\--

"You're an angel, a hero and a saint," says John, opening the door to the sight of Karen. He's pretty sure the ball of layers in front of him is Karen, anyway, it's carrying a bowl of what John assumes is Karen's promised soup. "Someone should canonize you."

"Flatterer," says Karen, her voice muffled by the three scarves. She waddles inside, shedding layers as she goes until she's recognizable underneath a lumpy sweater and jacket. "I got you guys soup," she adds, depositing the bowl onto the coffee table. "It's my grandmother's recipe--she made me promise to serve it only to my future husband."

"Making a move on a married man, are we?" John asks.

Karen snorts out a laugh. "No," she says, "I actually already served it first to Matt and Foggy."

"Keeping your options open?" John teases.

"Just in case," Karen shoots back.

"M'rnin', 'ren," Alex mumbles, emerging from his bedroom wrapped in two blankets and blinking blearily at Karen. "What're y'doin' here? S'snowing outside."

"I brought you soup," says Karen. "It's made of virtue. Sort of."

"S'it taste good?" Alex asks.

"It's my grandma's recipe and I am frankly offended at the implication that her recipe tastes _terrible_ ," says Karen. " _Offended_."

"Duly noted," says Alex, before he sniffs. "How're y'gonna get home?"

"I'll wait for it," says Karen.

John manages to turn his snort of laughter into a cough.

\--

 **NELSON:**  
and how's our favorite resurrected asshole founding fathers  
seriously tho K told me about the birthday  
you guys okay

 **LAURENS:**  
alex is in the kitchen eating soup by himself  
so no he's not okay okay today

 **NELSON:**  
me and Matt could come over if you want  
when the worst of the storm's passed anyway

 **LAURENS:**  
if you can manage it sure  
if not it's fine, just keep matt from ninja-flipping out the window  
it's like valley goddamn forge out there

 **NELSON:**  
trust me, he can't get past me  
i'm the Berlin Wall

 **LAURENS:**  
they tore down the berlin wall and good fucking riddance to it  
but also that does not reassure me in the slightest  
are we going to have to yell at matt when we get back for ending up on tv

 **NELSON:**  
he can't tear this wall down  
so no you can save all the yelling for when he comes in with bruises on a court day AGAIN

\--

Karen takes the couch, and John digs out the spare blanket, worn by use by teenaged vigilantes, to drape over her frame. She hums, clutches the pillow closer to her with a smile.

It's not hard to see why Alex and Matt and Foggy seem to care for her so much. She's an efficient secretary, a good friend. John's glad she came over with her soup of virtue, even with the storm outside.

He turns away and walks into the kitchen, where Alex is moodily sipping soup. He still looks pretty terrible, but not as miserable as he was a few hours ago, which John counts as a win.

He sits next to him. For a while, the only sound there is in the kitchen is the sound of Alex slurping up soup.

Then Alex says, quiet, "He was just a kid, y'know."

 _I'm only nineteen but my mind is older,_ goes the boast. John doesn't say a word--what do you say to a parent grieving his child, after all, when you left yours in England? What do you say to assuage that pain that you can hardly imagine? Nothing, he knows. There's not a goddamned thing he can do.

He scoots his chair closer instead, so his shoulder is very conveniently close.

"He was a good kid," says Alex. "Eliza would--she'd spend whole afternoons with him on the piano. And he'd keep changing the line to keep up with her, and he'd write song after song and ask me and Eliza and his siblings how it sounded." He sniffs, reaching up to brush away the tears. "He'd have loved this century, especially all the dating going on--Eliza and I used to blame each other for the fact that he had girls falling all over him, we'd say he got my wit and her looks and no one could withstand _that_ combination, clearly."

He gives a wet-sounding noise--almost like a laugh, John realizes, only much less happy, more weighed down by grief. Alex had been a parent, had lost his eldest, had lost so _much_ , and there's nothing either of them can do about it.

Except this.

He bumps Alex's shoulder with his, an unspoken offer-- _you can cry on me if you want to_ , he doesn't say.

Alex doesn't. But he smiles, that sad and broken little smile he gets sometimes when he kneels down next to Eliza's headstone, when he talks about Graham Windham and the things they're doing for the orphans of New York, when he looks at Peter and Kamala chatting with each other with ice packs over their bruises about homework and teachers and criminals.

"I'm not gonna pretend," says John, at last, "that I know what you feel like. I'm not gonna do you that injustice."

"Good," says Alex, "I woulda punched you."

"It wouldn't have worked, you're sick as a dog," says John. "I just--want you to know I'll be right here for the day."

"You can't go anywhere anyway," Alex points out. "It's like Valley Forge all over again just outside."

"Take it, Alex," says John, and Alex finally leans against his shoulder, hands gripping his shirt. They stay like that for a few more minutes, as outside the wind howls and the snow covers the streets.

Alex mumbles, "You know something?"

"Yeah?"

"It's quiet uptown."

\--

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
Laurens is out and #Snowmaggedon is starting to wane, I'm gonna pick up right where I left off starting with this

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@richard_thompson I couldn't help but notice your latest post on the unconstitutionality of gun control bills

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@richard_thompson as the foremost expert on the Constitution, may I remind you that we were AT WAR at the time

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@adotham I'm following you and I can SEE YOU TWEETING #getbackinbed

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
also @richard_thompson I read your blog and lemme just say that it was a waste of a perfectly good 2 hours

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@richard_thompson and that you also seriously need to improve your reading comprehension

\--

 **A. HAM:**  
have i mentioned today that i love you  
a lot

 **LAURENS:**  
love you too  
now get back in bed

 **A. HAM:**  
i AM in bed

 **LAURENS:**  
stop texting and tweeting  
or i'll buy you a ticket to 1776 IN YOUR NAME and tell the ticket girl that you just LOVE tjeffs and adams and what they did for this country  
i'll make #HamAt1776 a trending tag on twitter  
you'll have to watch john adams strutting his stuff onstage without me

 **A. HAM:**  
you wouldnt dare

 **LAURENS:**  
[attached: yesiwould.jpg]  
if you text back i'm going in and getting you the ticket and you won't be able to back out of it

\--

"I didn't buy you the ticket," says John, shoving the bedroom door shut behind him and shedding layers. Karen left during a lull, and his phone dings cheerily with her text-- _got home safe, tell Alex to get better so I can kick his ass for this fifty-page review._

Alex pokes his head up from underneath an incredibly lumpy pile of blankets. His phone's on the bedside drawer, the screen dark. "Good," Alex says with a sniff. "Because I was thinking I'd get you _The Room_."

"Foggy already got me that movie," says John. "It wouldn't have worked anyway, I'd have made you watch it with me to make it bearable."

" _Star Wars_ Holiday Special then," says Alex.

"You fucker," says John, climbing into bed and kicking off his shoes. "Where would you even find one?"

"You forget I have _connections_ ," says Alex, triumphant for all of fifteen seconds before he gives an almighty sneeze.

"You mean you'd bribe Peter or Kamala into finding it for you," says John, as Alex snuggles in closer, one arm going around his waist to tug him even deeper into Alex's space. "Would they even take it? They're good kids, despite the whole teenaged vigilante thing, they don't deserve to be exposed to that kind of bullshit."

"Now, see, how would you know it's bullshit if you've never even _seen_ it," Alex argues, looking up. "Like, you don't know, I don't know, maybe it doesn't deserve its rep like the prequels don't."

"You're not going to make me lose an hour of my life to that, Alex," says John. "I love you, but I gotta draw a line in the sand _somewhere_." He kisses the top of Alex's head, threads his fingers through his hair, streaked with grey at the temples. "Feeling any better?"

"Tell me you didn't thoroughly devastate that Thompson fellow just yet," says Alex. "I didn't even get to the best part, I have statistics on my side."

"I think there's still some of him left," says John, "but you still feel like a furnace, so absolutely not. I'll finish him off, I was going through some articles anyway." He drops another kiss on top of Alex's head. "I'll let you go at him next time when you aren't sick," he promises.

"Best of boyfriends," Alex pronounces, and John can't help the huff of laughter that escapes his lips.

\--

 **KAMALA:**  
how is he

 **NOT-EVIL STEPMOM:**  
getting better  
he's complaining about the political system in got again  
not that there's nothing to complain about because holy shit why

 **KAMALA:**  
westeros is a screwed up place  
why's he even watching it  
i thought he hated it???

 **NOT-EVIL STEPMOM:**  
you know those cat vines you linked us to last week??  
the ones alex watched for like 5 mins

 **KAMALA:**  
YEAH  
they're so adorable you can't look away  
what do kitties have to do with people getting beheaded tho???  
is this about the lannisters

 **NOT-EVIL STEPMOM:**  
no  
got is like  
the exact opposite with the same general effect

 **KAMALA:**  
watch dog cops instead  
dog cops doesn't make you want to throw things at the screen  
btw he just went on twitter to rant about got

 **NOT-EVIL STEPMOM:**  
you are the best superhero child we could've ever asked for

 **KAMALA:**  
thanks!!!  
i expect cookies tho

\--

All things pass. Eventually, the fever breaks, and a few hours later, the snowstorm finally passes the city by. It takes John and Alex a day or so to emerge from their apartment building, though--there's enough snow built up in front of the door that they both take an extra day off.

Matt drops by onto the fire escape, that night.

"What," says John, "in the _fuck._ "

"Hi," says Matt, clad in red and looking as sheepish as one can look when wearing a devil costume. There's a cut on his cheek and a swelling bruise on his jaw, and he's very gingerly holding his side. "So, uh, sorry for interrupting, but Claire's out of town and Foggy's on a date."

"John," says Alex, emerging from the bedroom, "there's this douchebucket talking ignorant shit out his asshole about reverse racism, what say you to-- _oh my god Matthew fucking Murdock._ " He stuffs his phone into a pocket, points at him and hisses, "The shit are you doing on my _fire escape_ \--"

"Well, bleeding on it, currently," says Matt, mildly. "John, you took up medicine, right?"

"Yeah, for a bit," says John, running his hand through his hair.

" _Why?_ " Alex says.

"I got into a fight with someone who got very trigger-happy," says Matt. "They're unconscious now. I left them at the hospital."

"You parkoured your ass to Metro General and then here with a _bullet wound_ ," says John, more than a little impressed. And worried, but really, he's kind of impressed.

"You did _what_?" says Alex, sounding much less impressed and much more freaked out. Understandable, when your coworker shows up at night on your fire escape with a goddamn bullet wound. "Murdock, I swear to god, you are going to be the death of me _again_ \--sit your ass down on the couch! John--"

"Kit's in the bathroom," says John, helping Matt through the window. "Don't worry, I'll sit on him."

"Don't sit on me, I have a cracked rib and a bullet wound," says Matt.

"Does that mean it's broken?" John huffs.

It's only a half-joke, but the way Matt sheepishly ducks his head confirms that, yes--it's actually a broken rib.

"You are the _worst_ ," Alex pronounces.

\--

 **A. HAM:**  
we have your daredevil  
if you want him back come over with a shitload of painkillers

 **NELSON:**  
i leave the apartment for ONE NIGHT  
also you're texting again  
does this mean you're back now???

 **A. HAM:**  
fuck yeah im back  
get your ass over here before your partner backflips off the fire escape with a broken rib and a hole in his body and undoes all of johns hard work

 **NELSON:**  
calm your tits i'm coming  
waiting on a taxi

 **A. HAM:**  
are you allergic to walking

 **NELSON:**  
nah  
but i am allergic to slipping on a sidewalk because of snow

\--

 **People Magazine** _@people_  
SPOTTED: #FoundingBoyfriends @adotham and @JLaurens on a romantic stroll in downtown NY peoplem.ag/GwMU8aj

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@people somehow I kinda doubt it's a "romantic stroll" when they're at Trinity Church, and also back off

 **k dot page** _@karen_p_  
sensitive as ever @people #havesomepity

\--

There are moments that the words don't reach, a grief too terrible to name, or even think of. John can hardly even fathom just how deep it must go, for Alex, and he knows he can't do much for him, when he's kneeling in front of Philip's grave, fingers ghosting over the name engraved in the cold stone.

"He'd have liked it uptown," says Alex, at last breaking his uncharacteristic silence. "It's quiet uptown."

John bumps his shoulder, and takes his hand.


	5. #force4ham

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so originally this was supposed to be uploaded at the beginning of the year! which just goes to show how scatterbrained I am, welp. also, there's a Tonys installment coming.
> 
> EDIT: ...or not, considering some recent events both in rl and in Ham fandom.

**A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
I have no idea what #force4ham is all about but it looks pretty good

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@adotham how have you not heard of Star Wars oh my god, this is a TRAGEDY

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@fnelson_nm really don't see what the fuss is all about

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@JLaurens #googleisyourfriend

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@JLaurens DO NOT GOOGLE IT #googleisNOTyourfriend

 **k dot page** _@karen_p_  
@fnelson_nm let them Google it, it's been like five years and the big twist is ALL OVER the Internet

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@karen_p did you tell them about the whales yet

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@fnelson_nm @karen_p one: wtf do whales have to do with this? two: you planning on explaining?

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@adotham I'll do more than that

\--

 **KAMALA:**  
how have you and alex not seen STAR WARS???

 **LAURENS:**  
we've had a lot of cases to deal with  
it gets kind of hard to binge-watch when you're trying to get your client to open up to you re: murder

 **KAMALA:**  
well on the bright side  
neither of you know ANYTHING about star wars  
oh man YOU DON'T KNOW THE THING

 **LAURENS:**  
what thing????  
come on kamala don't keep me in suspense here

 **KAMALA:**  
my lips are sealed

\--

"That doesn't make _sense_ ," says Alexander, after Foggy's brought the boxsets over, one of which is covered with a piece of paper reading _no spoilers_ , three very large pizza boxes, and Karen and Matt. "4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6? That sounds like a _code_ , not a movie order."

"The Machete order is the definitive way of watching Star Wars, okay," says Foggy, in a tone that brooks no argument. Alexander decides to let him have his way just this once, because between the two of them, Foggy's the expert here on pop culture, especially this-- _Star Wars_ , whatever it is. "The _only_ way."

"Machete order?" he asks instead, his brows knitting together.

"You don't actually have to go through all this trouble," says John, pulling out his phone, "I can just search--"

"I'm going to have to side with Foggy with this and say _no_ ," says Matt.

"I'm siding with John and saying _yes_ ," says Karen. "It's all over the Internet, especially with the new movie coming out, I don't see why you both are so--"

"Just because you're a Trekkie, Karen--" Foggy starts, heatedly.

John slides in between them because Karen actually looks a little offended, and says, "Thanks for the food and the movies, you guys, we'll watch it when we can."

He says this while sending Alexander a look that Alexander does not miss, the one that usually leads to bedsheets needing washing and their downstairs neighbor thumping their floor with a broom and yelling at them to shut the hell up. "Yeah," says Alexander, struggling to keep himself from grinning, "we'll pay _lots_ of attention to it--"

"No they won't," says Matt, smug. The mood-killer.

"You are such a creep," says John, narrowing his eyes at Matt for a moment before he shakes his head, clearly remembering that it's not as effective on a _blind_ man.

"Nah, Matt's right," says Foggy. "You know what, I declare today to be the first-ever Nelson & Murdock Star Wars Marathon. Since the new movie's coming out and all, and I'll be _damned_ if I can't get you all into Stormtrooper armor."

"I'm not getting into Stormtrooper armor, Foggy," Matt informs him. "Remember? We made a deal."

"Right," says Foggy. "All of you except Matt. Matt gets to be Han Solo."

"What the fuck," says Alexander, "are you two talking about?"

"It'll be clear in a few hours," says Karen, sounding utterly resigned.

\--

 **PETER:**  
Kamala said ur finally marathoning Star Wars  
1: how did u not see it before  
2: how far along are you  
3: what do you know

 **NOT-EVIL STEPMOM:**  
one: we're lawyers and we have like a fuckload of clients  
for once i'm not lying on that  
two: han solo just flew off i don't know why matt wants to be him so bad  
three: uhh something about "luke, i am your father"? idk

 **PETER:**  
Han is going to sneak up on u  
he did to me  
also oh my god u don't know  
u DON'T KNOW

 **NOT-EVIL STEPMOM:**  
what don't i know???  
come on peter just tell me straight up

 **PETER:**  
sorry  
I can hear Aunt May calling me

\--

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
honestly, after last movie's weird-ass stick fight, I'm starting to see why lightsabers are so cool and now I want one

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
shit he just cut Luke's hand off I don't want one anymore

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE HELL OH MY GOD #benkenobiyoufuckingliar #mindblown

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
Darth Vader for Father of the Year award, JESUS CHRIST

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@fnelson_nm also you are not putting me in Stormtrooper armor, that shit looks hella uncomfortable

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
@adotham @JLaurens get off Twitter you're missing the best parts (and the only good parts for 3 movies)

\--

"I really don't get why you think this is a terrible movie," says Alexander, while they're watching _The Phantom Menace_. "It explains a few things. Besides, I think I kinda like this Padmé character."

" _Jar Jar Binks_ ," Foggy hisses.

"He's not so bad," says Matt, with a shit-eating grin. Foggy turns to look at him, clearly horrified.

John says, watching baby Vader ( _baby Vader_ ) talk about getting blown up, "What the _fuck_ is wrong with the future--"

"Look at it this way," says Karen, "it's not _Into Darkness_ , at least."

\--

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
ok while Foggy's making popcorn let's talk about the planet-sized holes in the politics in a galaxy far far away (1/?)

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
first of all it's established in TPM that the Galactic Republic has a fucking huge problem re: response time bc of Senate bullshit (2/?)

\--

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
don't even get me STARTED on the Empire. obviously, the Emperor is a tyrant, did he really think rebellion wouldn't happen (21/?)

\--

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
sure. casually bring up slavery as a plot point and then just throw it aside in the next movie. wtf Lucas.

\--

"Leia's his sister," says John in a slightly horrified tone of voice, just after Padmé's death and Vader's big _NO_. "Leia's his--oh, _ew_."

Beside him, Alexander's actually sniffling a little into Matt's shirt, while Foggy's narration fades into the background, occasionally broken up by sniffles of his own.

"I could've told you about the surprise incest," says Karen, but she's wiping some tears away as well. "Or, well, Google could've told you. But _no_ , Foggy just had to insist on the no-spoiler policy."

"It's a fair policy!" Foggy protests. "Some of us don't get caught up on all the latest _Game of Thrones_ , Karen. Some of us have _better things to do._ "

"Like bully their friends into watching thirty-year-old movies," Matt dryly says. "The funeral scene's after this, right?"

\--

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@adotham we had a good run but I'm ditching you for Princess Leia

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
@JLaurens no wait come back do I need to get captured and then strangle Trump with a metal chain

\--

 **A. HAM:**  
who does the EXACT SAME THING that failed like three years ago with barely any changes  
like  
who does that  
why would you do that

 **KAMALA:**  
you got to rotj!!!  
how was it so far

 **A. HAM:**  
WHO BUILDS ANOTHER DEATH STAR  
where do you get the resources for that  
how do you even pay for that  
like i acknowledge that the empire is an evil tyrannical dictatorship run by a wrinkly jefferson under a potato sack with assistance by darth whiny  
theoretically they could do anything they wanted  
but also why  
would you  
sink valuable time and resources into a PROVEN FAILURE

 **KAMALA:**  
i cannot believe you  
it's sci-fi just go with it  
i can't believe i just typed that usually it's being said to ME

 **A. HAM:**  
whos running their financial system  
im gonna have words with him

\--

 **Foggy Nelson** _@fnelson_nm_  
#NelsonAndMurdock during ROTJ credits! this was fun. t.co/3Klm8dw

 **A. Hamilton** _@adotham_  
"fun" more like "infuriating but also heartbreaking and weirdly cheesily charming in turns"  
RT: #NelsonAndMurdock during ROTJ credits! this was fun. t.co/3Klm8dw

 **j dot laurens** _@JLaurens_  
@fnelson_nm you're still not putting me in Stormtrooper armor.

\--

"I can't believe I'm wearing this," says John through the Stormtrooper mask, the day of the new movie's premiere. "God, it's hot in here."

" _I_ can't believe Foggy got you to wear it by bribing you with Starbucks," says Alexander, adjusting his mask. People are milling all around them, and there is a lot of people, he realizes, dressed similarly to him and John--he's counted sixteen since he stepped inside the theater, and three people who waved their hand in front of him and said _these are not the droids you're looking for_. If he takes his mask off and looks, he's pretty sure he can spot Matt, Foggy and Karen in the crowd, all three of them dressed as Han, Luke and Leia, respectively.

For the first time in a while, though, they're out in a public place and no one's crowded into their personal space yet. That's what's keeping him from taking the mask right off.

That, and it's actually pretty hard to take it off quickly.

A thought pops into his head just then, and he smiles. Well, maybe not by _himself_.

"Hey," he says, "they're not gonna be back with the snacks for about--thirty minutes, tops. What say we take a little bit of--alone time?"

" _Please_ ," says John, catching on to his meaning. Probably. Behind a mask, it's hard to tell. "I spend a second more in this thing, I'm probably gonna suffocate."

"No suffocating," Alexander tells him, then grabs his hand and pulls him away towards the bathroom. "I can guarantee that."

\--

fin.


	6. the place to be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter jumps back in the timeline, about-- _way_ before the first one takes place. welp. sorry.

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
dear mr. hamilton  
how’s the kitchen? :)

**A. HAM:**  
who the fuck are you  
how the hell did you get this number

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
calm down  
it’s just me.  
;)

**A. HAM:**  
youre gonna need to be more specific i dont know anyone who signs off with a smiley

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
yeah you do  
think.  
where'd you wake up and who did you meet?

**A. HAM:**  
jesus fucking christ  
youre an avenger

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
the black widow, actually  
pleasure to meet you. steve’s talked about you.

**A. HAM:**  
has he now

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
we’re big fans. :P  
but that’s not why i texted you.  
you know mepkin abbey?

**A. HAM:**  
how could i not  
ive got somebody buried there

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
yeah.  
there might have been a small problem.

**A. HAM:**  
what are you talking about  
widow what the hell did you do

–

“Whoa,” says Foggy, once they’ve reached their destination, “Matt, we’re at _Stark Tower_. Or. Avengers Tower, whichever. Big-ass slightly phallic building with a giant A on top.”

“Now there’s an image,” Matt dryly says, arm hooked around Foggy’s. “What are we doing at Tony Stark’s building, anyway?”

“Is this a Captain America thing?” says Karen, with a sigh. “Because I’d love the warning before the reporters start calling, Alex.”

“Nah,” says Alexander, staring up at the tower and the giant _A_ , then pulling his gaze back down to the street leading up to the entrance.

It’s a little more crowded than Alexander would like--nothing that beats the crowds at a ham4ham, of course, which he is still proud of, but it’s still enough that he finds himself dreading the prospect of having to push through the crowd. If this is what happens in the aftermath of every Avengers mission, he’s so glad he turned down the offer to work at Stark Industries.

“So don’t keep us in suspense,” says Foggy, encouragingly. “Come on, tell us, what’s up?”

“A giant _A_ ,” says Alexander.

“Foggy already said that,” says Matt, with a brief huff of laughter, as Foggy drops his head into his free hand and gives a muttered curse. Karen snickers, in answer.

“Well, should’ve been more specific, then,” says Alexander, looking around for--something. A shock of curls, a freckled face, a familiar smile--

“ _Mr. Hamilton!_ ”

Alexander whips around, fast as lightning, and–blinks, at the young woman sauntering up to the four of them, her blonde hair cut short just above her shoulders, her eyes hidden by a pair of sunglasses.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” he says.

“Well,” says the woman, with a smile, “I’m the only one you know who signs off with a smiley.” She nods to a nearby alleyway, says, in a familiar sing-song tone, “Meet me inside?”

“Who’s she?” Karen asks, her heels click-clicking behind them, as Alexander follows after the Widow.

Alexander considers keeping the mystery for a moment, then shrugs and says, “The Black Widow.”

“Holy shit,” whispers Foggy.

“Uh, what?” says Matt. “Sorry, repeat that again, I must’ve misheard--did you say we’re following after the _Black Widow_?”

–

“Do you need someone to carry you?” says Matt, once they’ve hit the fifth floor. He’s holding on to the Widow now, who’s got her wig in her hand, and Alexander is probably going to kick his ass for not looking so tired as he must be feeling right now. He tries not to think about how this must be.

“I _fought in a war_ ,” says Alexander, pausing to grab hold of the railing and catch his breath, knees aching like nothing else, “I can manage a few more flights.”

“ _I_ can’t,” says Foggy, panting, “why can’t we take the elevator again?”

Karen leans on the railing just above them and says, smugly, “I told you so.”

“Well, you could,” says the Widow, falsely pensive, “but then you’d have a harder time getting up to where you need to be. You kinda need an Avenger to access the floor I’ll be taking you to.” She nods upwards, and says, “If it helps, it’s just five more floors till we can take a special elevator just for us.”

_Five more floors_ , Alexander tells himself. “Lead the way,” he says.

–

**2,314 likes** _2 weeks ago_  
 **caseythesherlockian** #tbt to my face when a. ham came out as bi on twitter

_View 25 comments_

**angieschuy** SAME YO BEST TWEET EVER

–

Alexander plans a speech on the way up, in between making small talk with the goddamn Black Widow herself and arguing with Matt about who’ll take the opening speech for the Fiedler case. It’s a good speech, if he does say so himself, one of the best speeches he's ever come up with in a short period of time. And he's come up with plenty of those.

When he steps into the room and sees the curls, the freckles, the smile, the speech, the whole fucking _world_ flies right out the window.

(“Oh my god,” says Karen, behind him, a hand covering her mouth, eyes wide in shock.

"Jesus motherfucking Christ,” says Foggy.

“You realize I can’t actually tell what you’re all looking at?” says Matt, in a dry tone.

“John Laurens,” says Foggy, steadfastly ignoring the suspicious look Karen throws his way.

“ _Jesus Christ_ ,” says Matt.)

–

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
your boy’s back.

**A. HAM:**  
what?

**UNKNOWN NUMBER:**  
punctuation?  
you must be shocked  
he’s at the tower.  
you can bring your friends.

–

“My god, Alex,” says John Laurens ( _John Laurens_ , who’s not dead, who’s looking up at him with a surprised smile, whose curls are tied back in a ponytail, whose freckles are sprinkled across his nose, who looks so young and who's _not dead_ ), “you got _old_.”

“And you,” says Alexander, “look as fine as ever, my dear Laurens.” He sits down in the chair next to him, takes his hand, and says, “For a zombie.”

“What’s a zombie?” says John, in the most innocent tone, and Alexander stares at him for a few moments before John breaks into a laugh, and says, “I’m kidding, I know what it is, I got a crash course in the 21st century a day or so ago. You have a play about you now?”

“Yeah,” says Alexander, breathing out and grinning, feeling a great weight on his heart lessen just a little, just enough that he can breathe easier, “you’ll love it. I--”

“You know what,” says Karen, cutting into Alexander’s thoughts, grabbing hold of Foggy's arm, “we’re. Just going to leave, have fun, you guys!”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” adds Matt, with a smile.

“Don’t do anything Matt would do,” says Foggy. “He woke up on a rooftop with the French ambassador’s son, covered in the American flag--”

“Objection,” says Matt, “that was a _blanket_ , I’d have known if it was the flag, Foggy, trust me--”

“Too much information,” Karen informs them, shepherding them both out, and mouthing _details later_ at Alexander before she and the Widow walk out, the door shutting behind them.

“You have strange friends,” says John, once they’re alone in the room. His hand slips back into Alexander’s, warm and calloused from handling a gun. Here and now, Alexander finds himself comparing faded memory to crisp reality, finds himself sitting stunned and struck dumb, for once in his life. “I--How long has it been for you?”

“A very long time,” says Alexander, honestly. What else can he be, after all. “Twenty years, give or take.” _I missed you_ , he doesn’t say. “Did you get my letter?” he says instead.

John catches his meaning anyway, draws him in close to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “I read it yesterday,” he says, and the implication hits like a gunshot to the chest--he hadn't read it, when he died. “I’m guessing the offer to come to Congress is closed now.”

“That offer’s closed, sorry,” Alexander says, his hand still linked with John’s, their foreheads touching now, breathing the same air as John for the first time in a long while, “but I got a new one. Wanna hear it?”

John smiles. “Yeah?”

“Come help me defend the downtrodden, the beaten, the desperate,” says Alexander. “It won’t pay much, I’m just warning you, we’re almost always pretty much broke. But our sentiments are still the same, and our goals still align: we’ve fought to make America free, now let’s fight for her people’s rights. What do you say?”

“Of course I will,” says John, and draws him in for another, deeper kiss.

–

**NAT:**  
you owe me a dinner.  
barnes also owes me a sundae.

**STEVE:**  
well, I know when I’ve lost  
ladies’ choice. where to?

**NAT:**  
there’s a greek place in hell’s kitchen you’ll love  
they make a great moussaka

**STEVE:**  
you’re on.  
pick you up at four?

**NAT:**  
it’s a date.  
:)

–

fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hamilton's speech to Laurens is paraphrased from the final letter: _Quit your sword my friend, put on the toga, come to Congress. We know each others sentiments, our views are the same: we have fought side by side to make America free, let us hand in hand struggle to make her happy._ It's highly likely Laurens never actually got around to reading it before he died at Combahee, and that's what I went with here.


End file.
